Combined protective and signaling device



March 20, 1928.

Filed Nov. 6, 1926 X2 INVENTOR L1G. Sepkelwolu.

' ATTORNEYfi v Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNI'TED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAY G. STEPHENSON, OF ATHENS; TENNESSEE.

COMBINED PROTECTIVE AND SIGNALING DEVICE.

Application filed November 6, 1926. Serial No. 146,756.

10 which will protect the umpire. against injury from batted or thrown balls or other flying missiles and at the same] time will permit the umpire to have a, sufficiently unrestricted view of the playing field and of the players '16 thereon to make such decisionsas the duties of his position require.

A further object of the invention isthe provision of aprotective device of the character described which has conspicuously disposed means operable by the user of the protective device to signal to the players and other interested persons various facts and results which are incident to the playing of the game of baseball, as for example, the number of balls and strikes which have been called r against a batter at a given time and the number of players of the batters team who have been retired or are ma n that time.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a protective and signaling device. of the character described which can be secured firmly, although detachably, in any desirablelposition on or adjacent to theplaying field and which is readily portable when detached from its supporting surface.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawingspin which -Figure 1 is a erspective view of a protective and signa ing device embodyin the invention, disposed adjacent to the home plate of a baseball playing field, and

Figure 2. is a section substantially along 4 the line 2-2 of Figure 1. c I

The frame structure of the device embodying the invention ma comprise a vertically disposed shield lfwhic preferably is substantially semi-circular in horizontal sectional configuration so that it will remain upright i when disposed as shown in Figures 1 and 2 with its lower edge resting on the earth or other substantially flat supporting surface, said lower edge'of the member 1 preferably 88 being beaded as indicated at 2 50' as to produce a relatively firm non-cutting contact or hearing ortion at the lower end of the memhe member 1 may have outwardly her '1. turned eye members3 at its lower edge ads jacent to its opposite side edges and at the convexly curvedside ofthe member 1 for the reception of spikes l or other suitablefastening devices which may be driven into the ground or other supporting surface to prevent overturning of the member 1 under the impact of a blow. The shield 1 may be secured in place on the ground at the rear of the home plate 5 of the playing field for the game of baseball and then is disposed with'the convexly curved side thereof turned toward the home plate Themember 1 has a window 6 which is of The shield is provided at its upper end with a top plate 8 from. which a plurality of tubular signal casings are upstanding, as at 9, l0 and 11, respectively. The upper end portions of the signal casings may he stayed to one another by the tie wire 12 orcin any other suitable knownmanner.

The tubular signal casings 9 and 11 may be higher than the signal casing 10 and may be. dis osed adjacent to opposite ends of the top p ate 8 while the signal casing 10 is c located intermediate the ends. of the top plate 8 One of the signal casings 9 or 11, as for instance, the signal casing, 9, may be the casing of a device for signalingorindieating the number of strikes on a: batter at a given time, the signal casing 11 then being a part of a signaldevice for signaling or indicating thelnumbcr of balls which have been called. against thebatter at that time and the'relatively short signal casing 10 being included in a signal device for signaling or indicating the number of players on, the batters team, that have been. called out at that time. Vertically movable operating rods 12, 13 and 14 extend vertically from the space within the shield 1 through the tubular signal casings 9, 150, and 11, respectively, and the upper end portions of these rods 12, 13 and14 carry series of cally by moving the associated handle vertically in the slot 19 of the guide for the lower end portion of that rod and such rod can be secured releasably in a plurality of vertically adjusted positions by swinging the handle for the rod from the slot 19 of its guide into any one of a plurality of vertically spaced seats or notches 21 which are formed in the side edge of the slot 19.

The tubular guide for the rod 12 will have three of the vertically spaced notches 21 in an edge of its vertical slot 19 and such notches will be spaced so that three balls 15 on the upper end portion of the rod 12 will be exposed to view above the upper end of the signal casing 9 when the handle 20 on the 'rod12 is engaged with the uppermost notch 21 of the tubular guide for the rod 12, two of the balls 15 will be exposed to view when the handle 20 is engaged with the middle notch 21 of the tubular guide for the rod 12 and one of the balls 15 will be exposed to view when the handle 20 is engaged with the lowermost notch 21 of the tubular guide for the rod 12 and none of the balls 15 will be exposedto view at the upper end of the tubular casing 9 when the handle 20 for the rod 12 is'at the lower end of its associated slot 19, The notches 21 in the tubular guides for the rodsl3 and 14, are similarly spaced so that the engagement of the handle 20 for the rod 13 with the respective notches 21 of its tubular guide will result in three, two one or none of the balls 16 being disposed to View above the upper end of the casing 10 and the engagement of the handle 20 for the rod 14: with the notches 21 of its tubular guide will result in four, three, two, one or none of the balls 17 being disposed to view above the upper end of the tubular casing 11 according to the particular notch 21 with which the associated handle 20 is engaged at'a given time. The respective balls 15, 16 and'17 are colored to be readily distinguishable visually from one another and it there fore will be manifest that the umpire who is using the device may stand within the confines of the shield 1 in position to be protected against injury from flying missles, batted or thrown balls, or the like and at the same time may observe the plays on the playing field and may actuate the respective signal devices as required to indicate to the players and to the spectators of the game the number of strikes on the batter, the number of balls, and the number of players of the batters team that have been retired at any given time during the playing of the game of baseball.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and T theretoreconsider as my own all such modifications and adaptations thereof as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1 claim 1. A device of the character described comprising a base, a tubular signal casing on the base, a vertically movable operating rod depending from said signal casing, a signal carried by said rod slidable in said signal casing to and from positions to be disposed to view above the upper end of said signal casing, and latch means engageable with the rod for retaining the same in any one of a plurality of vertically adjusted positions.

2. A device of the character described comprising a base, a tubular signal casing upstanding from the base, a vertically movable rod depending from said signal casing, a series not signal balls carried by the upper end portion of said rod and movable vertically with said rod from position within said signal casing to position to be disposed successively above the upper end or said signal casing, and vice versa, a stationary tubular guide below the base for the lower end portion or said rod, said tubular guide having a vertical slot, a handle on the lower end portion of said operating rod extending through said slot, said tubular guide having a vertical series of lateral notches in an edge of said slot for the reception of said handle, said lateral notches corresponding in number with the signal balls on said rod and being spaced distances equal to the distances between the centers of adjacent balls, the upper lateral notch being located in position to cause ali of said signal balls to be disposed above the signal casing when said handle is in engagement with said upper lateral notch. y c

3. In a signal, a supported open-ended casing, and a plurality of longitudinally alined signal elements normally hidden from view within the casing and arranged to be successively shifted from one end thereof to expose them to view.

a. in a signal, a supported open-ended casing, and a plurality of connected signal elements normally hidden from view therein, and manually operable means for shifting the signal elements from one end of the casing to successively expose the same.

5. in a signal, a supported vertically disposed cylindrical casing, a plurality of connected spherical signal elements in the casing and normally hidden from view, and manually operable means for shifting the signal mally disposed within the casing, the actuelements longitudinally in the casing to sucating rod being shiftable to predetermined cessively expose the same to view. positions to successively expose the signal 10 6. In a signal, a supported open-ended elements, and latch means'for retaining the 5 casing, a longitudinally shiftable actuating actuating rod in selected positions.

rod passing therethrough, a plurality of signal elements mounted on the rod and nor- JAY G. STEPHENSON. 

